Automatic signal-buoy



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

E. E. MANN.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL BUOY.

NO. 341,671. Patented May 11,1886.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. E. MANN.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL BUOY. A No. 341,671. Patented May 11, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR E. MANN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL-BUOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,671, dated May 11, 1886.

Application tiled September 30, 1885. Serial No. 178,640. (No model.) Patented in England September .15, 1885, No. 11,418; in Canada September 28, 1885, No. 22,533. and in Fra .cc September 29, 1885, No. 17l,-l00.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR E. MANN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Signal-Buoys, (this device being patented in England, No. 11,438, dated September 25, 1885; in Canada, No. 22,533, dated September 28, 1885, and in France,No. 171,400, dated Septem ber 29, 1885,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce an automatic signal-buoy that when floating upon the water will be oscillated by the waves, and at each oscillation will give forth a sound that can be heard for a great distance.

The invention consists in certain dctails of construction, hereinafi er fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the center of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line on m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 2 z,- and Fig. 1. is a horizontal section on line y y, showing top of valve-chamber.

A represents a shell, of iron, made waten tight. I prefer to make the bottom of the shell saucer-shaped, by which a light draft is obtained,and it is easily rocked by the slightest motion of the surface of the sea.

B is a hood, secured to the upper part of the shell A by means of a perforated ring or annular plate, (I, having perforations a. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) The shell A is composed of two portions secured together, the lower portion being of a shallow saucer-shaped form, and the upper portion being conoidal in shape, tapering toward the top, and terminating in a plate, A, which closes in the shell at the top and serves as a brace. The diameter of the buoy at the junction of the two portions is much greater than the height of the same, thus lessening liability ofits upsetting and enabling it to be moored in shallow water.

Extending across the upper portion of the shell A, below and substantially parallel with the plate A, is arranged a plate, A to give additional firmness to the parts, and furnish,

together with the plate A, support to pipes .1), four in number, (more or less,) for supply ing air to the shell. The pipes b are titted in the plates A A-, and have their upper ends bent over, as shown in Fig. 1, to prevent the entrance of water into the pipes.

The perforated ring a is arranged outside the casing or shell A, between it and the hood B, and in the plane of the plate A as shown; but I may arrange it in the plane of the plate A, or anywhere within the annular passage between the shell A and the hood B.

By means of the perforations (t a in ring a, air is admitted to the inside of the hood B, and then through the pipes I) into the interior of the shell A.

C is a four-way joint (shown in section in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2) secured in the center of the bottom of the shell, and to which are attached four water-pipes, I) D D D, that pass up and through the deck E, to which they are firmly secured by angle-irons, and to the upper ends of the said water-pipes D Dare secured tapering pipes F F, the small ends of which are connected to pipes G G, that communicate with ten r independent valve chambers, II H H H, bolted together,-the inner sides of which constitute partitionsj. They are provided on the bottom with induction valves I l, and at the top with eduction-valves J J, that lead to the reedchamber K by pipes 7c. The pipes It are fitted in the plate A. The chambcrK,which they unite to form, is fitted in the plate A.

It will be seen that, although there are four separate water-pipes, D, taper pipes F, pipes G, valve-clmmbers H, and eduction-valves J, they all lead to one common chamber, K, to the upper end of which is secured a horn or whistle, L, the upper end of which passes out through the hood B, and is protected by means of stout iron straps or guards Q.

B is a water-supply pipe communicating with one of the tapering pipes F, and is fitted on the outside of the shell with a screw-plug, r. The object of this pipe is to admit the nec essary quantity of water to the water-pipes D when the buoy is first put into operation, orto supply an additional quantity should it become desirable.

Sis a bilgc-pipe extending to the bottom of I00 the shell, from which any water that may ac cumulate in the shell may be pumped out.

'1 is a man-hole in the shell A, so that if necessary a workman can enter to repair any part or tighten joints or pipes, as emergency may require.

U is a man-hole in the center of the deck E, inside of shell A, so that the lower part can be reached, if required.

To the bottom of the shell, on its outward surface, is secured a ball-and-socket or universal joint, so as to enable the buoy to rock in any direction.

V is the ball, and IV the socket, which is firmly secured in position. To the ball V is secured a rod formed at its outer end into a loop or eye, X, to which is connected the mooring-chain to hold the buoy in position. To the bottom part of the buoy is attached l'our eye-loops at equal distances apart for the attachment of chains Z, if necessary, as shown at Y Y. The bottom of the socket \V is to be of such diameter as to allow the buoy free motion to rock to any desired angle, preferably to an angle of thirty-five degrees.

The operation is as follows: The buoy being moored in the place required, and the pipes I) being supplied with a suitable quantity of water or other liquid, as the buoy is rocked by the undulat-ory motion of the sea, or, in other words, the waves, the water in the pipes falls to thelowest side of pipes D, compressing the air and forcing it upward through the valve-chamber II, raising up valve J into reed-chamber K, from thence out and through the horn L, producing a volume of sound that can be heard a great distance. At the same time, on the opposite side of the buoy, a fresh supply of air is drawn into the pipes F and G through the valves I from the interior of the buoy, which is kept supplied by air passing through the holes a in plate a, between the outside of the shell A and inside of the hood B, and thence through the pipes I) to the interior of the shell A. Thus it will be seen at each oscillation of the buoy air is compressed and forced out of one series of pipes at the same time air is drawn into the opposite series of pipes, ready to be compressed at the next oscillation.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with the shell A and hood B, of the plates A A the perforated ring a, and the tubes Z), opening into the shell, connected at their lower ends with the plate A, and curved at their upper ends, as shown and described.

2. The pipes D, connected together by a fourway joint, (1, in combination with the tapering pipe-connections F, the pipe-connections G, and valve-chambers I-I, having partitionsj, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, the four two-way valvechambers H, provided each with an induction and an eduction valve, and the pipes G, F, and D, connected together, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the shell A, the balland-socket joint V \V, eye X, chains Z, and eyes Y, substantially as shown and specified.

5. In a signal-buoy, a shell consisting of an upper and lower part joined together, the lower portion being of a shallow saucer-shaped form and the upperportion of a conoidal shape terminating in a plate at the upper end, the diameter of the said shell at the junction of the two portionsbeing greater than the height of the same, and the upper portion being surmounted by a hood connected with the upper portion by a perforated ring. as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR E. MANN. \Vitnesses:

J. H. ADAMS, E. PLANTA. 

